Broken ride leaves 22 dangling for hours at California amusement park, officials say

A breakdown left 22 people hanging in midair for hours on the six-story Sol Spin ride at Knott’s Berry Farm, California officials say.

The thrill ride stopped mid-cycle at about 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, at the Buena Park amusement park, Knott’s Berry Farm said in an email to McClatchy News.

The malfunction stranded 22 riders in midair until about 4:30 p.m., officials said.

The spinning ride appeared to be stuck in a horizontal position, with some riders leaning sideways but none upside-down, KABC reported.

Mechanics were eventually able to lower the Sol Spin to the ground, allowing riders to get off, KTLA reported.

Two women were taken to hospitals to be evaluated “out of an abundance of caution,” the park said. There was no word on their medical condition.

“Sol Spin sends guests on a thrilling adventure over 6 stories high as they rotate in all directions on one of six spinning arms,” a description of the ride on the Knott’s Berry Farm website said.. “Each arm rotates 360 degrees independent of one another providing a different experience every ride.”

Buena Park is about a 20-mile drive southeast from downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 9:36 AM with the headline "Broken ride leaves 22 dangling for hours at California amusement park, officials say."